Exercise system for physical rehabilitation and fitness

ABSTRACT

An exercise and rehabilitation system includes a patient positioning system, a dynamometer, an electronics module, a computer and a communications module. The electronics module includes a servo-amplifier and a controller and the controller receives torque and position data from the dynamometer, computes the control signal for the servo-amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the computer and communicates torque and position data to the computer. The communications module communicates with the electronics module, and the computer.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/724,592 filed on Nov. 9, 2012 and entitled EXERCISE SYSTEM FOR PHYSICAL REHABILITATION AND FITNESS, which is commonly assigned and the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exercise system for physical rehabilitation and fitness and in particular to an exercise system that combines an extremity exercise system and a work simulator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Extremity exercise systems are typically used for isolated joint (sometimes referred to as “open chain”) exercise where the patient is seated in a chair and performs a knee, hip, shoulder, or other pattern against an input adapter on the dynamometer. Examples of single-joint exercises include elbow extension/flexion, knee extension/flexion, and wrist radial/ulnar deviation, among others.

A second class of exercise devices is work simulators, which are used for multi joint (sometimes referred to as “closed chain”) exercise. In this case, the patient is typically standing and utilizes a dynamometer on a post with various input adapters including a wheel/cable, hand tools, or shoulder tools. In multi joint exercises, the hand or foot is fixed to an input adapter and multiple joints are free to move concurrently in space.

Examples of multi joint exercises include rowing, push-ups, and leg extension, among others.

It would be desirable to provide an improved exercise system that can be used for both extremity exercises and work simulator exercises

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes an exercise system for physical rehabilitation and fitness that combines an extremity exercise system and a work simulator system.

In general, in one aspect, the invention features an exercise and rehabilitation system including a patient positioning system, a dynamometer, an electronics module, a computer, and a communications module. The electronics module includes a servo-amplifier and a controller and the controller receives torque and position data from the dynamometer, computes the control signal for the servo-amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the computer and communicates torque and position data to the computer. The communications module is configured to communicate with the electronics module, and the computer.

Implementations of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The computer communicates with the communications module and the electronics module via a wired or wireless connection. The dynamometer includes a first shaft extending along a vertical axis and is rotatable around the vertical axis and a second shaft extending along a horizontal axis and is rotatable around the horizontal axis, and the horizontal axis intersects the vertical axis. The exercise and rehabilitation system further includes a wheel attachment configured to be removably attached to the second shaft and to allow a user to perform work simulator exercises while standing in the open space around the common platform. The exercise and rehabilitation system further includes one or more attachments configured to be arranged inline with and removably attached to the second shaft and to allow a user to perform extremity exercises while seating in the patient positioning system or work simulator patterns when standing in the open space around the common platform. The computer includes and runs an application program and data storage, and provides a user interface and report generation. The dynamometer is movable along the vertical axis and tiltable relative to the vertical axis. The exercise and rehabilitation system may further include a removable vertical lifting attachment and a removable torso rotation attachment. The exercise and rehabilitation system may further include a biometric system that transmits biometric data to a data monitoring and recording computer. The biometric system includes an Electromyography (EMG) device and/or an Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) device. The communications module may also communicate with the biometric system. The electronics module transmits torque and position data and controller status data to the communications module and the biometric system transmits biometric data to the communications module. The communications module appends the biometric data to the torque and position data and controller status data and generates a resulting data package and transmits the resulting data package to a data monitoring and recording and control computer via a digital interface. The data monitoring and recording and control computer may also communicate command data to the electronics module and the biometric system via the communications module. The communications module may also transmit data to multiple computers. The patient positioning system, the dynamometer, and the electronics module are separate from each other and are supported onto a common platform. The computer is separate from the dynamometer, the patient positioning system and the electronics module and is supported in a cart that is separate from and movable around the common platform, thereby providing open space around the common platform.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features an exercise and rehabilitation system including a patient positioning system, a dynamometer, an electronics module, and a computer. The electronics module includes a servo-amplifier and a controller and the controller receives torque and position data from the dynamometer, computes the control signal for the servo-amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the computer and communicates torque and position data to the computer. The patient positioning system and the dynamometer are separate from each other and are supported onto a common platform. The electronic module and the computer are separate from the dynamometer and the patient positioning system and are supported in a cart that is separate from and movable around the common platform, thereby providing open space around the common platform.

Among the advantages of this invention may be one or more of the following. There is no need for two separate exercise systems. The exercise system of this invention occupies less space than two separate exercise systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the figures, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1A depicts a prior art extremity exercise system;

FIG. 1B depicts a prior art work simulator system;

FIG. 1C depicts another prior art work simulator system;

FIG. 2 depicts an improved exercise system for physical rehabilitation and fitness used for extremity exercises, according to this invention;

FIG. 3 depicts the improved exercise system for physical rehabilitation and fitness of FIG. 2 used for work simulation exercises, according to this invention;

FIG. 4 depicts another view of the improved exercise system for physical rehabilitation and fitness of FIG. 2 used for extremity exercises, according to this invention;

FIG. 5 depicts another view of the improved exercise system for physical rehabilitation and fitness of FIG. 3 used for work simulation exercises, according to this invention;

FIG. 6 depicts another embodiment of the improved exercise system of this invention, that includes wireless communication between the electronics console and the dynamometer controller;

FIG. 7A depicts a prior art exercise rehabilitation and biometric system; and

FIG. 7B depicts a new exercise rehabilitation and biometric system according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1A, a prior art extremity exercise system 99 was designed to provide extremity (knee, hip, shoulder, and trunk) testing and uses an in-line design. This prior art system 99 includes a patient positioning system 110, a dynamometer 130 and an electronics module 120. The electronics module 120 includes a servo-amplifier, a controller and a computer 150. The patient positioning system 110, the dynamometer 130, the electronics module 120 and the computer 150 are rigidly attached to a platform 140. The patient positioning system 110 includes an adjustable seat 111 which provides patient positioning relative to the dynamometer 130 and stabilization through a seat belt 112 and Velcro straps 113. The dynamometer 130 includes a servo motor and a gear box, an instrumented shaft and a set of input adapters. The servo motor and gearbox provide force, position or velocity-based resistance. The instrumented shaft provides torque data and a motor encoder provides position data to the controller. The set of input adapters accommodates various testing patterns including knee, hip, wrist, and shoulder, among others.

FIGS. 1B and 1C depict work simulator exercise systems. Both the extremity exercise system and the work simulator system include a dynamometer and an electronics module. Their differences are typically the following: The extremity exercise system includes a patient positioning system which is rigidly linked to the dynamometer. The dynamometer can be raised and lowered from 3′ to 5′ above the floor and the measured forces and speeds are typically in the 5 to 500 ft-lbs and 5 to 500 deg/sec ranges. In the work simulator system, the patient stands in front of the dynamometer. The dynamometer can also be raised and lowered.

The improved exercise system of this invention provides the functionality of both an extremity system and a work simulator system.

Referring to FIG. 2, the improved exercise system of this invention 100 includes a patient positioning system 110, a dynamometer 130, an electronics module 120 and a computer 150. The patient positioning system 110, the dynamometer 130 and the electronics module 120 are positioned and supported onto a platform 140. In this embodiment, the computer 150 is located in a cart 152 that is separate from the platform 140. This placement of the computer 150 provides improved usage space at the front area 102 of the system 100. In other embodiments, the electronics module 120 is also positioned onto the cart 152. This embodiment also provides enough space at the front area 102 for the user to stand and perform the work simulator exercises.

The electronics module 120 includes a servo amplifier and a controller. The computer 150 is separate from the electronic module 120 and includes a monitor 151. The servo amplifier provides a drive signal to the motor. The controller reads the torque and position data from the dynamometer, computes the control signal for the servo amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the personal computer 150 and communicates measured torque and position to the computer. The computer 150 runs an application program, provides a user interface, data storage, and report generation.

Referring to FIG. 3, a wheel 160 with cable drive 166 and a lower pulley 165 are attached to the dynamometer 130 of system 100. This attachment allows the user 90 to perform work simulator exercises in front of the exercise system 100. In this embodiment, the dynamometer 130 is rotatable around x-axis 134 by 360 degrees, and it can be raised lowered, and tilted. The dynamometer shaft 138 is rotatable around y-axis 135 by 360 degrees.

In addition to the above-mentioned usage and attachment, the dynamometer 130 can be used as a drive/measurement source to a number of additional attachments. These additional attachments include a vertical lifting system, and a torso rotation system, among others. In the torso rotation system the cable from a traditional rotation weight stack machine is routed through the wheel mechanism 160, and the traditional weight stacks are replaced by the system's resistance and measurement functions. This same functionality of replacing the traditional weight stacks by the system's resistance and measurement functions is also used in the vertical lifting system. In other embodiments, the connection between the dynamometer controller and the computer 150 is wireless, i.e., Bluetooth, or other wireless network connections, as shown in FIG. 6. The wireless connection between the controller and the computer 150 eliminates the need for cabling between the computer 150 and the electronics module 120 and increases the usability of the system. Furthermore, an intelligent communications module 250 is added in the device 100, as shown in FIG. 7B. The addition of the communications module 250 enables the opening of multiple communication channels. These additional wireless communication channels allow communications between the controller and the computer the therapist is using, broadcasting feedback to an iPad™ or other tablet computer that the patient is using, and acquiring biometric system data from wireless modules which are then synchronized with the torque, position and velocity data from the exercise system 100.

As was mentioned above, in a prior art exercise system 99 the electronics module 120 includes a servo amplifier, a controller and a computer 150. The controller reads the torque and position data from the dynamometer 130, computes the control signal for the servo amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the personal computer 150 and communicates measured torque and position to the computer 150. The computer runs an application program, provides a user interface, data storage, and report generation.

It is often desirable to correlate the torque and position data from system 99 with biometric data from various biometric sensors 226. Thus, prior art exercise 99 system may also be combined with a biometric system 200, as shown in FIG. 7A. The controller in the exercise system 99 transmits the torque and position data from the dynamometer 130 to the computer 150 via a digital interface 202. The digital interface 202 may be an RS232, a USB, Ethernet or Bluetooth interface, among others. The biometric system 200 includes an Electromyography device (EMG) and/or an Electrocardiogram device (ECG/EKG), among others. The EMG and EKG devices are connected to EMG and EKG sensors 226. The biometric system 200 transmits biometric data to a data monitoring and recording computer 208 via the communications module 250 and a digital interface 212. The digital interface 212 may be an RS232, a USB, Ethernet or Bluetooth interface, among others. Researchers are interested in correlating the torque and position data from computer 150 with the biometric data from computer 208 in order to evaluate the efficacy of an exercise program. However, given the uncertainties in the operating system response time it is not feasible to correlate reliably the torque and position data from computer 150 with the biometric data from computer 208. In order to solve this problem, in prior art systems, the controller in the exercise system 99 adds a set of analog outputs 210 which feed the torque and position data from system 99 to analog inputs on the biometric system 200 via an analog interface 211, shown in FIG. 7A. However, the conversion of the torque and position data from digital to analog and then back to digital format introduces noise and compromises the integrity of the data. Furthermore, the controller digital status data which are transmitted via the digital interface 202 to computer 150 are not included in the data stream from the biometric system 200. Also, any additional data streams would require additional analog inputs to the biometric system 200.

Referring to FIG. 7B, in the improved exercise system 100 of this invention, controller digital status, torque and position data 230 are transmitted via a digital interface 224 directly to a communications module 250. Similarly, the biometric system 200 communicates biometric data 206 to the communications module 250 via a digital interface 212. In this case the communication module 250 includes digital ports (USB; RS232, Ethernet or Bluetooth interface, among others) and is placed between the controller, the biometric system 200 and the computer 220. The biometric system data 206 are appended to the controller digital status, torque and position data 230 and the resulting packet 222 is forwarded to computer 220 via the digital interface 213. Command data that are addressed to the exercise system controller and/or the biometric system 200 from computer 220 also pass through the communication module 250 in the opposite direction. The improved system of this invention provides improved signal quality by eliminating the digital to analog and then back to digital data transformation. Additionally by correlating the data in the communications module 250, the operating system uncertainty and the requirement to concurrently manage multiple data channels in the computer system 220 are eliminated. The system can be readily extended by connecting additional biometric sensor devices 200 to the communications module 250. The system can also be extended by connecting multiple display systems 260 to the communications module 250.

Several embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise and rehabilitation system comprising: a patient positioning system; a dynamometer; an electronics module; a computer; a communications module; wherein the electronics module comprises a servo-amplifier and a controller and wherein the controller receives torque and position data from the dynamometer, computes the control signal for the servo-amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the computer and communicates torque and position data to the computer; and wherein the communications module is configured to communicate with the electronics module, and the computer.
 2. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 1, wherein the computer communicates with the communications module and the electronics module via a wired connection.
 3. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 1, wherein the computer communicates with the communications module and the electronics module via a wireless connection.
 4. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 1, wherein the dynamometer comprises a first shaft extending along a vertical axis and is rotatable around the vertical axis and a second shaft extending along a horizontal axis and is rotatable around the horizontal axis, and wherein the horizontal axis intersects the vertical axis.
 5. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 4, further comprising a wheel attachment configured to be removably attached to the second shaft and to allow a user to perform work simulator exercises while standing in the open space around the common platform.
 6. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 4, further comprising one or more attachments configured to be arranged inline with and removably attached to the second shaft and to allow a user to perform extremity exercises while seating in the patient positioning system or work simulator patterns when standing in the open space around the common platform.
 7. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises and runs an application program and data storage, and provides a user interface and report generation.
 8. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 4, wherein the dynamometer is movable along the vertical axis and tiltable relative to the vertical axis.
 9. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 4, further comprising a removable vertical lifting attachment and a removable torso rotation attachment.
 10. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 1, further comprising a biometric system and wherein the biometric system transmits biometric data to a data monitoring and recording computer.
 11. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 10, wherein the biometric system comprises an Electromyography (EMG) device and/or an Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) device.
 12. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 10, wherein the communications module is also configured to communicate with the biometric system.
 13. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 12, wherein the electronics module transmits torque and position data and controller status data to the communications module and wherein the biometric system transmits biometric data to communications module and wherein the communications module appends the biometric data to the torque and position data and controller status data and generates a resulting data package and transmits the resulting data package to a data monitoring and recording and control computer via a digital interface.
 14. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 13, wherein the data monitoring and recording and control computer also communicates command data to the electronics module and the biometric system via the communications module.
 15. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 1, wherein the communications module transmits data to multiple computers.
 16. The exercise and rehabilitation system of claim 1, wherein the patient positioning system, the dynamometer, and the electronics module are separate from each other and are supported onto a common platform and wherein the computer is separate from the dynamometer, the patient positioning system and the electronics module and is supported in a cart that is separate from and movable around the common platform, thereby providing open space around the common platform.
 17. An exercise and rehabilitation system comprising: a patient positioning system; a dynamometer; an electronics module; a computer; a communications module; wherein the electronics module comprises a servo-amplifier and a controller and wherein the controller receives torque and position data from the dynamometer, computes the control signal for the servo-amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the computer and communicates torque and position data to the computer; wherein the patient positioning system and the dynamometer are separate from each other and are supported onto a common platform and wherein the electronic module and the computer are separate from the dynamometer and the patient positioning system and are supported in a cart that is separate from and movable around the common platform, thereby providing open space around the common platform; and wherein the communications module is configured to communicate with the electronics module, and the computer.
 18. An exercise and rehabilitation system comprising: a patient positioning system; a dynamometer; an electronics module; a computer; wherein the electronics module comprises a servo-amplifier and a controller and wherein the controller receives torque and position data from the dynamometer, computes the control signal for the servo-amplifier, receives high-level control settings from the computer and communicates torque and position data to the computer; and wherein the patient positioning system and the dynamometer are separate from each other and are supported onto a common platform and wherein the electronic module and the computer are separate from the dynamometer and the patient positioning system and are supported in a cart that is separate from and movable around the common platform, thereby providing open space around the common platform. 